As the Sun Devils began their second week of spring practice with an underwhelming showcase, head coach Kenny Dillingham described the final 11-on-11 segment as “the worst two periods of offensive football I’ve seen at my time here,” a statement that naturally sparked an uptick in performance during Thursday’s session, much to the delight of offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo.

“Opportunities where you're not out full tilt … I think that creates an opportunity for us to really sink our teeth in and be where we are in that moment,” Arroyo said Thursday. “Where we're at in our program and what we need to get done in spring, understanding that defenses adapt, targets grow, expectations mount, and we need days like that to be able to pull us back down sometimes.”

In response to Dillingham’s words, both sides of the ball played with rejuvenated energy. Additionally, new pieces to the depth chart are learning the playbook more and more each day. As a whole, the offense outperformed the expectations set by Arroyo before practice began, showing positive signs of the program’s continued character when faced with adverse situations.

“Guys have done a good job. We've thrown a lot at them,” Arroyo said. “Thursday’s usually a pullback day on install, so throwing a lot at them. But I think they've done a really good job of understanding the intensity and deliberateness and trying to create an identity for themselves in regard to what we're trying to get done on offense.”

ASU added weapons to all departments of its offense. One room in particular that required reinforcements was the tight end group, which redshirt senior Chamon Metayer heavily utilizes in the run and passing game.

In the offseason, the program welcomed multiple players to the position group, including junior Kentucky transfer Khamari Anderson and 6-foot-6 freshman A.J. Ia. The two continue to bolster the room and have excited Arroyo and the coaching staff.

“We've made that a primary focus since we got here,” Arroyo said. “(Losing one) transferring tight end and going in and finding one guy, and then going to get another, then recruiting a freshman, we made that a real point of emphasis in the offense. Creating an edge on the offensive side is important for us, and in our scheme, controlling the perimeter and having those guys in the middle matching up is a big deal. So, we've got three guys, and we couldn’t be more fired up.”

After the loss of Heisman Trophy candidate Cam Skattebo, the running back room and its 2025 structure have been scrutinized. With multiple new additions, the new-look position group includes nearly six players with legitimate capabilities to play meaningful snaps in the fall.

“Right now, trying to make up that ground without Skat is going to be a big deal,” Arroyo said. “So, the pressure is on for those guys. They're enjoying that. They understand it.”

Two critical players who have ingrained themselves early in spring are junior Army transfer Kanye Udoh, who rushed for over 1,100 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024, and freshman Demarius Robinson. The elder Udoh is physically imposing out of the backfield, using his size and shiftiness to beat defenders. Given the pedigree he established with the Black Knights, Arroyo has gotten what he expected from Udoh.

“He's really sharp. I think that when we first called him and met him, there’s something about that school and where he comes from that gives you an elevated intent in regard to how to study and how to prepare yourself,” Arroyo said of Udoh. “So, we knew he’d probably be in that, but the football piece you don’t know because it’s a totally different brand of football.”

With Robinson, the Sun Devils were certain they knew the personality that was being added into the room, and that’s been on display early in practice. The bubbly freshman has not backed down from challenges or big moments, even breaking down practice with the entire team after scoring on the last play of Thursday’s session.

“He's exactly what we saw on film,” Arroyo said. “His personality, his ability to come out and compete right away. He's coming from high school right now. He should be a problem in the next couple of months, and we’ve got a handful of guys like that. I mentioned that to those guys, and I mean that with all reality because you’ve got these 16- and 17-year-old kids coming in at mid-semester … they’re drinking from a fire hose.”

On the defensive side, the position groups didn’t undergo as many wholesale changes; however, a key acquisition can help defensive coordinator Brian Ward keep the group fresh.

“We want those guys to have controlled chaos,” Ward said. “I mean, that's really kind of the mentality right now.”

Ward has continued to rely on the growth of younger players on the roster to bolster the chaos among the position groups. In particular, the emergence of redshirt freshman defensive backs Rodney Bimage Jr. and Tony-Louis Nkuba has continued as they showcase their abilities with time and opportunities.

“The challenge for those younger guys is not to have the deer-in-the-headlights mentality,” Ward noted. “They've got to understand every walkthrough, every meeting—they're learning. And then when they get an opportunity to go with the ones like Rodney and (Plas Johnson) do, they’ve got to act like a one. They’ve got to act like a starter. That’s their opportunity to show that they’ve put the preparation in.”

Whether it's with the starting unit or the third-string players, nearly 80% of ASU’s current roster can call themselves Big 12 champions heading into 2025. Consistent chatter and antics around the program have all centered around avoiding complacency among the team, and Ward knows the team’s continued desire to prove itself day in and day out will enhance the spring and set up for a historic fall.

“You can't just say, ‘Oh, my time isn't now,’” Ward said. “Like, your time is now, and trying to emphasize that and develop that sense of urgency with our younger group is part of spring ball.

“The hardest thing, when you have so many returning players, is getting those guys to understand that, yeah, this still is your time. And you’re hoping that you recruit guys that are talent-wise as good as the guys you’ve got playing, so you can just continue to reload.”

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